Chunky Mushrooms w/ Sweet Potato Mash

I love shrooms! Their savoury flavour is called ‘Umami’, a Japanese term meaning flavoursome or delicious. They are’t actually plants, so they have a different nutritional profile to that of fruit and vegetables. Mushrooms have more protein per gram than most vegetables - and, what’s more, mushrooms contain good levels of Vitamins B3, B2, B3 & B5 and the minerals selenium, chromium & copper.

There are published research articles about the potential inhibitory effects of eating mushrooms on breast cancer, in particular oyster & reishi varieties, but this is dependant on quantity eaten and many other variable factors, so the benefits are unclear.

There is much discussion about the Vitamin D content of mushrooms. Mushrooms can convert their ergosterol to ergocalciferol (Vit D2) when exposed to sunlight. Generally mushroom growers only subject their mushrooms to light briefly while they are growing, harvesting & distributing, so commercial mushrooms do not contain measurable amounts of Vit D2. I find it fascinating that store bought mushrooms can be placed in midday sunlight for for 1-2 hours and as a result they can potentially generate 10 mcg of Vit D2 per 100g serve. 10 mcg of Vitamin D3 is the NHS daily recommended amount. This Vit D2 is converted in our bodies to D3 which is what we want. Interestingly, 80% of mushroom’s vit D is still approx. 80% retained after frying for 5 minutes and there is very little vit D loss when mushrooms are stored in the fridge.

I love cooking up some thickly sliced field (portobello) mushrooms with a dash of extra virgin olive oil. This recipe is from my 30-Day Programme, a Programme created by me to help encourage people to learn to eat whole foods in a very easy and delicious way!

400g sweet potatoes
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
300g large mushrooms (about 2 very large), thickly sliced
2 large handfuls spinach or 1 handful chopped parsley
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lemon or 3 tsp apple cider vinegar  

Cut the sweet potatoes into chunks and cook until soft (any method of cooking to suit you – such as steaming or roasting).
Put 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large frypan on medium heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just softening.
Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are just softening.
If using spinach, stir in to wilt, season with salt and pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, then turn off the heat.
Once the sweet potato has cooked, mash it with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
Divide it between two serving plates and top with the mushrooms.
Scatter over the freshly chopped parsley, if using.

If you only need one portion then save the other portion to put into the blender with some water or broth/stock to make a mushroom and sweet potato soup for the following day. Add as much water or broth/stock as you need to get the consistency you want for the soup.
Check the seasoning, then put into a container and store in the fridge for tomorrow.
Use any type of water/broth/stock you have on hand to add liquid to make the soup such as vegetable stock or home-made bone broth or water. Avoid any bought stocks or broths that have any artificial ingredients such as MSG or food additives or colourings or extra salt.